Thread: EXIT General Tojo

Originally Posted by spartanfan

Oh man, I'm next! I can't wait to try out the General!!! I have to say I'm a bit intimidated, so I'll go nice and slow.

I was anxious too, but it was a rewarding experience. Don't be too intimidated, take it slow and mind the point and you'll be just fine.

Good luck and enjoy!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I have no idea who made this or the type of steel it is made of other than the fact it’s very hard. Other than that it’s vintage. I’ve named it General Tojo.

I have a razor with the same markings (kanji) stamped on it.


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Originally Posted by furir

I have a razor with the same markings (kanji) stamped on it.


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thanks for that.You've shed some light now.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

thanks for that.You've shed some light now.

You're welcome, I'm glad I could be to some assistance this time. Perhaps JimR can share some more lights?

I picked the General up this morning from the post office. I probably won't get a chance to shave until next week sometime. I'll report back on how it goes!

I just finished my fist shave with the General. It went fairly well. I struggled to find a comfortable grip on the razor, but I managed to shave my whole face with only one tiny nick. I enjoyed the stiffness of the razor and the feedback it provided. I plan on working on my grip with the razor before my next shave so I'll be better prepared. Overall it was a good experience and I'm looking forward to improving my technique.

Were you able to shave with just the side with the writing? Or did you flip it over like I did? I just could not find it comfortable to shave the right side of my face with the writing side and had to flip it every time.

I was able to do almost all of the shaving with just one side of the razor. I did flip it to see how the other side shaved though. I'm under the impression that I want to have the markings on the razor facing outward towards the mirror while I shave, is this correct? Also, I forgot to mention, I did go back and clean up with a DE after the shave. I'm hoping by the end of my time I won't have to do that anymore.

Originally Posted by spartanfan

I was able to do almost all of the shaving with just one side of the razor. I did flip it to see how the other side shaved though. I'm under the impression that I want to have the markings on the razor facing outward towards the mirror while I shave, is this correct? Also, I forgot to mention, I did go back and clean up with a DE after the shave. I'm hoping by the end of my time I won't have to do that anymore.

The whole question of what side to use has been discussed over and over here and on other forums. At this point it's all a matter of what you believe until some one comes up with an old Japanese Shaving manual. Personally, I use the writing side towards my face. Many use the other side. Someone posted a video at B&B of someone getting a haircut and shave in Japan and the barber is using a kamisori and is supposedly a second generation long time barber. He uses the non writing side but then again he uses the same razor to cut the guys hair without even restropping so I don't know about him.

I just finished up my second shave and it went better than the first. No nicks and I was able to get a close, comfortable, smooth shave for the most part, except for the underside of my chin. I found that I prefer shaving with the marked side against my face. I'm really enjoying the shaves, and I'm hoping to continue my progress into week number 2!